Taps are attached to the water supply by connectors, sometimes referred to as tap tails. These are available in two main types - flexible and rigid, but the type for a particular set of taps will likely be a given, not a choice.
Both flexible and rigid connectors join directly to normal 15mm copper pipe work. The tap manufacturer decides which type of connectors each tap will have. As for the installer, the most suitable type of connection depends on where the taps are being installed and the installer themselves.
Flexible Connectors:
Best for DIY Installers: You don’t require any plumbing skills to fit flexible connectors. A flexible connector is simply a bendable hose with a screwed end (a female end with internal thread). Flexible connectors or hoses are also available with compression ends. These ends are made in copper, whereas the screwed alternative is an alloy such as brass or gunmetal. It is not acceptable to have iron or steel ends attached to the copper pipe. Some manufacturers allow bespoke connectors, whereby different ends may be specified and supplied, for example a screwed end and a compression end.
The flexible connector allows connections to be made in places that would prove extremely difficult to make in traditional rigid copper pipework and fittings, including having to solder said pipework and fittings. They are a convenient and timesaving alternative to traditional copper installations, especially in domestic systems and tight-nit bathroom environments.
Rigid Connectors:
The rigid connectors become part of the more robust copper pipe run that connects the supply/distribution pipework to the tap. Again there are variations, but typically the connections are fitted as capillary fittings. “Capillary” is the term used to describe the soldered copper pipework method. There are other methods of installing copper pipework such as copper compression and other pipework systems altogether such as mannesmann (a press-fit system).
When soldering copper pipework, lead free solder is used in conjunction with a blowtorch. The end product looks neater, lasts longer and is less prone to leaks than the flexible alternative.
The rigid connector itself is a small, fit-in-your-palm piece of metal, usually copper but possibly brass or gunmetal. It has a screwed end to fit to the tap and a solder or compression end to fix to the rigid pipework: (See Above-Right)
Summary:
Whilst many old-school installers feel more comfortable with the traditional and robust method of installing copper pipework using capillary fittings, the flexible connector will suffice for the vast majority of installations, and will even be the only solution in areas of limited working space.
Title:
How To
Connect
Bathroom Taps
Author:
A.Jeffers
Date Written:
Jan 2007
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